Everything we do online today gives businesses, and others, access to information about us. From our spending habits, to where we live, to our hobbies, we give away personal information about ourselves. And while that information might be used for relatively benign purposes, like to target advertising towards us, it can also be used for much more sinister reasons.
For example, identity thieves might use our personal information to steal from our bank accounts or open fraudulent accounts in our name. Then there are disgruntled former friends, or worse, stalkers, who might use the data they find online to corner us in person, spy on our private files, or spread false information about us.
Guarding your privacy online can go a long way towards protecting your finances, your physical safety, and your online reputation from threats like these. And online privacy isn’t just crucial for individuals.
Businesses are routinely hacked, leaving their employees and their customers vulnerable. When hackers infiltrate a company executive’s private password information, those hackers can get into a business’s confidential files, putting thousands of other people at risk.
And while exposed personal information leaves each of us vulnerable, fortunately, there is something that can be done about it. Services like Reputation Changer can protect you and your business.
How is your private information exposed on the web?
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People Search Sites
People Search Sites are one of many ways your private information is made publicly available online. These sites scour government records and other online databases to create profiles of just about everyone in America. That data, which can include your address, phone number, employer, and more, are then sold online, where it can be purchased by stalkers, hackers, and identity thieves.
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Phishing Scams
Phishing scams are a common way for hackers to trick you into providing them with your personal password information or security codes. A phishing scam might send you an email or text message, pretending to be your bank or credit card company. Identity thieves then use the personal information you provide to open fraudulent accounts in your name or to infiltrate your existing accounts.
How can hackers find answers to the most frequently asked identity verifying questions?
Sometimes hackers simply infiltrate our accounts by changing our passwords. A hacker can quickly find answers to the most commonly asked identity verifying questions online. For example, “What is your mother’s maiden name?” – A people search site can provide that. “What was your high school mascot?” -A simple web search can provide that information.
“Where did you go to college?” -That can be found on a LinkedIn profile.
So how does Reputation Changer protect your online privacy?
Reputation Changer removes your private information from the web using specialized technology that scours the internet for exposed data. That exposed data might include the names, phone numbers, and addresses of relatives and children.
We purge your private data from scores of internet sites and routinely check the status of those removals while keeping an eye out for new sources of information.
Reputation Changer also routinely sends you reports on your privacy status, with alerts every time a new threat is uncovered.
Securing your online privacy keeps you safe from harm, both digital and physical.
In today’s digital world, keeping our private information private is not as easy in years past. But in order to keep ourselves, our careers, and our family safe, online privacy must be a priority.
Talk to a Reputation Changer privacy expert today to learn more about what we can do to keep your private information safe.